Prelude
by VampireNaomi
Summary: Fujiko is approached by Goemon after the first episode of Blue Jacket.


This takes place right after the first episode of Blue Jacket/Part IV.

 **Prelude**

Fujiko was barely able to suppress an irritated huff as she took off her gloves while walking away from the hotel's parking lot. No, she was marching, an angry pace in her steps that she didn't even try to slow because she needed to get the frustration out of her system somehow.

Rather than step inside her hotel, she kept going until she could turn into a narrow alley that was shadowy even in the bright morning. The little shops and cafés that lined the medieval cobblestone path were friendly and inviting.

She was already sick of San Marino, she thought glumly and stopped to look at the handbags that were on display in one of the shop windows. There was one that she liked and that cost more than an average family's monthly food budget, but she only made a face at her reflection in the window and kept going. Shopping was no fun when she was in a bad mood.

The only warning she got that something was off was a slight scraping sound from above, and then someone landed right in front of her, startling her enough that she let out a surprised squeak.

"Fujiko! I'm glad I found you!"

Goemon was crouching on the ground before her, looking up at her with intense eyes. Fujiko glanced up at the nearest roof. It was a fall that'd make a normal person break both their legs, but Goemon didn't seem at all unnerved.

"Did you jump from there?"

"Yes, I've been looking for you since last night."

Fujiko put her hands on her hips and moved her weight to her side. She'd just dumped Lupin in the woods after the pathetic spectacle that the heist had turned out to be. She didn't know what Goemon wanted from her, but she doubted it was anything good. If he was there to whine that everything was her fault, she'd dump him, too.

"I discovered something amazing last night," he said.

"Yeah?"

Goemon drew a deep breath as he stood up so he could look her in the eyes.

"Lupin only married Rebecca to get access to the royal crown. It's all a ruse."

Fujiko waited a moment to see if this was some kind of a joke. Surely not even Goemon would walk up to her and present her with news like that. But when not a muscle moved on his overly serious face, she knew that he was being earnest.

"I know," she said slowly, still willing to give him the chance not to make a total fool of himself.

"What?" Goemon's voice sounded like it'd gotten trapped somewhere in his throat. "Even you? Was I the only one who didn't?"

"If it makes a difference, nobody told me. I figured it out on my own. It was obvious."

"But..."

To be honest, there had been a brief moment when she'd wondered if it was the real thing, when she'd caught her first glimpse of the sparkling blonde who'd supposedly swept Lupin off his feet. Rebecca was vibrant and excessive and acted like getting whatever she wanted was the most obvious thing in the world. Any man would be flattered to catch her eye.

And Lupin was a good actor. When he'd looked at Rebecca with a smile that spelled adoration, both of them dressed to their finest for the wedding, Fujiko had found herself asking herself if it could be real, and whether it was low of her to use his wedding as an opportunity to grab the crown.

She'd also felt an unpleasant twinge in her gut that she'd at first thought was jealousy, but now knew had been disappointment. She didn't want to get married. There was nothing marriage offered that she couldn't get through other means, so it didn't feel like a good deal, only a trap. She'd thought Lupin was the same, that he'd love her but not hold it against her that she wanted to be free.

It had been a deflating feeling to think that he was just like every other man after all. Then, once she'd seen through his act, she'd been disappointed in herself that she'd given up on him that quickly.

Goemon hung his head, face red with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. I thought… Jigen only told me last night. I assumed you'd be heart-broken, so I wanted to tell you as soon as things calmed down."

"Heart-broken? Me?"

Had she seemed like that at the reception?

"I know that Lupin is the great love of your life, so I thought -"

"Right now he's just the great annoyance of my life," Fujiko cut him off. All that drama and effort and nobody got the crown. She'd wasted time and money on his fake wedding and hadn't gotten a thing in return. "And besides, the dumbass is married for real. I don't know what body part he was using to think this plot through, but it certainly wasn't his head."

Goemon frowned in confusion. "I don't understand."

"Something about divorce papers. I didn't bother sticking around to hear the details. It's his mess to clean," Fujiko said.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Fujiko let out an irritated sound. "Will you stop that already? I'm not upset."

"Alright, if you say so," Goemon replied, and Fujiko wondered if he was getting snippy with her. It was her bad mood and a night with no sleep making her cranky, she knew, but Goemon's earnestness got under her skin sometimes.

"I am upset, though," he went on. "Everyone else knew that something was up. I thought the marriage was real and that Lupin was leaving us. I worried what might happen to us without him. Is there enough to keep us together if Lupin isn't there?"

That was such a profound question that Fujiko didn't feel like thinking about it when she was this tired, if at all. Just like Goemon to go straight to the core of the matter.

"I don't know," she said, and the distress on his face showed that he'd expected a different answer. But she wasn't in the mood for assuring him that things were fine. If that was what he was after, why did he even come to her? He should have sorted things out with Lupin, not her.

"What do you plan to do next?" he asked.

"Get some rest. I'll see what I feel like doing then." She wasn't staying in San Marino, that was for sure. Maybe she'd go to Milan or Rome, or even further and get out of Italy. Failed heists didn't usually bring her down, but she wanted to forget this one as soon as possible.

It was just the size of the country making her feel claustrophobic, she told herself.

"I was hoping you would accompany me for breakfast," Goemon said.

"Oh? What are you after?" she asked. She knew she'd get the answer out of him, even if he didn't say it. It was obvious why Lupin and Jigen hadn't let Goemon in on their plans. He could try to lie with his words but never with his face.

His lips formed a disapproving pout. "I was merely hoping to cheer you up."

Did he still think she was upset? Was he just being stubborn and refusing to let go of his initial impression, or did he see something when he looked at her that she wasn't aware of? Fujiko prided herself on always being in control of how she appeared to others. It was her life insurance.

Had she slipped at the wedding? And if yes, was it because seeing Lupin walk down the aisle with someone had gotten to her that much, or because she felt comfortable enough around Goemon and Jigen that she didn't need to hide her feelings from them?

Jigen had said that she had to be jealous the night before, but she'd thought it was just him being an asshole. But what if he'd actually read something on her face, in her body language? If so, had his comment been because he'd wanted to use a rare chance to rub salt in her wounds, or because he'd felt some concern that their stupid plot was getting to her?

Ugh, she suddenly felt like taking a shower to wash the failed night's sweat and dirt off herself.

"Breakfast sounds good," she said. Anything to get something else to think about.

A relieved smile briefly appeared on Goemon's face. He let her lead the way down the street, back to busier and sunnier parts of the city.

They had coffee and sandwiches at a nice café a few streets over. To Fujiko's surprise, Goemon ordered a cappuccino, like he knew exactly what he wanted. When she remarked that she hadn't taken him for someone who had such strong preferences for coffee, he told her that Jigen had promised to buy him one and he wanted to rob him of that experience.

"He and Lupin lied to me. I will have my first cappuccino with you," he explained.

She couldn't help but laugh at that, then again when he gave her a dirty look. Lupin made her laugh because he was funny and carefree. Goemon did so because he took every little detail of his life so seriously. It should have been suffocating to spend time with him, but underneath that strict facade, he was willing to learn and change, more than the rest of them.

There was no point in asking Goemon about what Lupin planned to do next. After a moment of mulling it over, she decided she didn't even care. He could stay in San Marino and try to get Rebecca to sign the divorce papers, or start a happy new life with her if he couldn't manage that. The thought of him becoming entangled in his own tricks was more amusing than it had seemed earlier.

She briefly wondered if she and Rebecca could be friends if she became a constant part of their lives. The only glimpse of her personality she'd gotten had been at the reception. She hadn't seemed like a bad person, but Fujiko had been struck by how effortlessly she'd blurted out everything she thought, like she wasn't at all worried what others might think. And why would she? She'd been born into more money and fame than most people had the capacity to imagine. Fujiko didn't resent her for it, but she wasn't sure if she could find much common ground with someone who'd never had to struggle for anything.

Well, at least she'd played Lupin for a fool and used his own tricks against him. Anyone who did that earned some points in Fujiko's books.

The sun was climbing higher in the sky and making the thick jacket she wore when riding a bike uncomfortable. Later, when they went for a walk on one of the paved paths that slithered up Monte Titano, she took it off to enjoy the wind that was picking up. It was cool and made her feel like it might be enough to wash away the grime from the previous night's adventure. She fished around in her pockets for a rubber band to tie her hair up in a bun so it wouldn't fly in her face every time she turned around.

"I have extra if you want one," she said to Goemon who was having the same problem.

"I will endure."

They stopped to gaze at the lush countryside that surrounded the city. Fujiko leaned on the old stone wall and closed her eyes for a moment. Before she knew it, she felt herself drifting off to sleep and stumbled, but Goemon's hands were around her before she could fall.

"This is not a good place to rest," he said.

"I know." She straightened her form and stepped away from him, hiding a yawn behind the back of her hand. Then she caught him staring at her, a strange look in his eyes. "What?"

"I'm so glad you aren't upset about what Lupin did."

"Oh? Why's that? Are you here as his wingman or something?"

"No, but had he broken your heart, it would have made this morning feel like I was only here to offer myself as a comfort."

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean, not that I think you'd take advantage of me in any way, but I just… I want you to be happy, and if Lupin is making you unhappy, then, even though I would prefer different circumstances..."

That was her cue to laugh and call him silly for thinking such things. Goemon would stammer and blush some more, and they'd go on like nothing had happened. But she didn't want to dismiss this so quickly. Damn him for always saying what was on his mind.

"You think I'd be happy with you as a rebound?" she asked.

"Uh, well..." Goemon brushed away the hair that the wind was blowing over his face. "That was arrogant of me to assume. I apologize. I'm no replacement for Lupin."

He was unbelievable. Fujiko couldn't even bring herself to be mad. She'd been mad about a lot of things just a few hours ago - not getting the crown, Jigen shooting her tire, the money she'd spent on Lupin's wedding gift, how he'd begged her for help when he'd realized he was married for real - but Goemon being that stupid only made her sad.

"No," she agreed. "You really, really aren't."

Goemon made a sound of agreement and lowered his head. Fujiko decided to be merciful and end his misery before he got any more foolish ideas and stepped back within the reach of his hands. She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her.

"Never mind Lupin. If you ever have me, it's going to be because I want you."

"Do you?"

"You'll find out when you try to get me with your head held high." She stroked his cheek with her thumb and thought about how easy it'd be to let herself fall into the look of wonder on his face. If she kissed him, he would give her anything she wanted. And for a moment, she was tempted, but then she pulled away.

"I understand," he said. He didn't sound angry or resentful. It was one of the reasons she liked him so much. Most men got angry when they were turned down. She didn't even know how many times someone who'd promised the moon to her and spoken of her like she was a goddess had turned around and thrown slurs at her when she refused to give him what he was after.

They found a bench further down the path, in the shadow of a massive tree. Fujiko stretched her back and sat down, loving the feeling of getting to sit after spending hours in heels at the wedding, then on her feet the whole night as she'd tried to grab the crown.

"Wake me up if I fall asleep again," she said.

"Go ahead and rest."

"Probably not a good idea. Zenigata might still be around. We should have already left the country."

Goemon sat down by her side and showed his sword to her. "I will keep watch. I'll protect you if anyone tries to get close."

It was amazing how he could go from a stuttering fool to so dashing in a manner of moments. If it wasn't something that was natural to him but something he could fake, Fujiko was sure he'd outshine even Lupin's star in the art of tricking others. She leaned against Goemon's shoulder to get more comfortable, and after what must have taken careful consideration, he moved his arm over her shoulders so that she had a nice nook to settle into by his side.

San Marino had made her restless as soon as she'd arrived there. It was too small for her to want to stay for long. She'd long since sworn she wouldn't ever settle down in a place where it felt like she didn't have room to spread her arms wide.

"Will you come to Rome with me?" she muttered against the fabric of his kimono.

"Anywhere."

Satisfied and content, Fujiko closed her eyes.


End file.
